March 13 Fishing Season Open?

What a day for phenology. On an extended ride through the wetlands of Capital Springs Recreation Area and Lake Waubesa, I saw my first sandhill crane, red-winged blackbird, muskrats, and coyote of the spring. This morning, I also heard robin and blue jay songs for the first time. On a boardwalk to a sewage treatment holding pond I saw spiders scurrying to and fro. Most were jet black and hid under the boards, but this one stuck around long enough for a closeup. Commonly called fishing spiders, the family Pisauridae has 15 representatives in North America. These long-legged critters can actually walk over water to hunt aquatic insects and small enough minnows. They usually sit still on vegetation, though, and dive into the water at the precise moment. According to Weber's Spiders of the North Woods, this most closely resembles the Six-Spotted Fishing Spider (Dolomedes triton), but the spots are very faint on this one. Just after this, I saw my first insect, a fluorescent yellow caterpillar! These are good signs for bird migration to pick up.